EPA officers inspected the site on Thursday and found about 1000 cubic metres of concrete rubble.

The CFA this week confirmed to the Bendigo Advertiser, asbestos had been found in what a spokesperson said was a mound of soil containing some chunks of asbestos sheeting.

He said the organisation was conducting an internal investigation into the how the material came to be at the site.

EPA North West Manager, Paul Ratajczyk said it appeared the rubble had been on site for several years and could contain asbestos material.

“The rubble is in an isolated area at the site, is fenced off and signed and poses no risk to workers or residents if undisturbed.

“While early indications from CFA testing suggest the waste contains asbestos, as part of its investigation, EPA visited the site to take further samples to confirm whether asbestos is present or not.

“If sample results find that asbestos is present, EPA will issue a clean-up notice to ensure the waste is removed and deposited at a site licensed to receive it.”

“EPA’s investigation will also look into how the material ended up at the CFA site and who was involved in depositing the material.

“Any potential breaches of the Environment Protection Act will be considered against EPA’s Compliance and Enforcement policy."

The Victorian Emergency Management Training Centre at Huntly, operated by the CFA, is used to train mostly volunteer firefighters, allowing them to undertake training scenarios similar to those they may face in reality.

The State Emergency Service was last month scheduled to run an urban search and rescue training program at the facility, but cancelled because of the potential risk to those participating.

It is believed the large pile of industrial material was transported to the site several years ago and it is unknown if, or how many people, have come into contact with the rubble.